The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting Podcast

We have had one heck of a week! We connected on 4 gobblers this week between Jacob, Andrew and Thomas. In this episode we relive the hunts, talked about what worked and what didn't, and answer some listener Q&A submissions!

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NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Patrick Wightman, National Director of Research for the NWTF, to break down what the latest research is revealing about wild turkeys—and what it means for hunters.

From large-scale population trends to on-the-ground behavior, this conversation covers some of the most important (and often misunderstood) findings shaping the future of turkey hunting.

In this episode, we cover:

What $20M+ in turkey research is uncovering across the country

Why turkey populations are declining—and the biggest factor driving it

What happens after you leave a gobbler (and why patience matters more than you think)

The truth about harvest rates and how hunting actually impacts populations

How hunting pressure affects gobbling activity throughout the season

The role of early successional habitat—and why it’s critical for brood survival

What GPS and field studies are revealing about turkey movement and behavior

Differences between “homebody” gobblers vs roaming birds

How land management practices directly impact turkey numbers

What hunters and landowners can do right now to improve habitat and success

If you’re serious about understanding turkeys at a deeper level—and becoming a more effective hunter—this episode is packed with insight you won’t hear anywhere else.

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

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Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

On this Q&A edition of the show we are talking about how our turkey hunt in Florida ended, as well as our hunts here in Alabama (and how one of us missed!). Questions covered:

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

Henry Ott is a third-generation turkey hunter from South Alabama with over 60 years of experience in the woods. He learned from his father and grandfather—long before modern gear, when success depended on woodsmanship, patience, and understanding turkeys at a deeper level.

Florida turkey camp has been amazing! We have been able to stay in the action with two birds down in camp so far. In this episode we are joined by Pete Muller and Patrick Whiteman of the NWTF, along with Kaiden Grey of Primal Frame Photography. In this episode we discuss what has been working on the hunt so far, and we hit some listner Q&A submissions.

Check out the NWTF here - https://linkly.link/2eV8o

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

If you can make a gobbler sound off… you’ve got a small window to kill him.

In this episode, turkey hunting legend Eddie Salter breaks down what happens after that first gobble — and why most hunters mess it up.

We dive deep into:

How to strike turkeys and actually get them coming

The “15 Minute Rule” that changes everything

The biggest mistakes hunters make after a gobble

When to call… and when to shut up

How to set up so you don’t get busted

The exact calls and tactics Eddie uses in real hunts

Eddie is a legend, and has spent decades mastering the art of calling turkeys, and this is as practical and real as it gets.

Watch this before your next hunt. Y'all stay Southern!

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

Turkey season is here, and we're pulling one out of the vault for this week's throwback Thursday episode. Scott Ellis joins us for one of the most tactical turkey hunting conversations we've ever had on the show.

Scott breaks down his signature "hide the hen" setup strategy — the idea that where you sit when you call matters just as much as how you call. If a gobbler can look over and confirm no hen is standing there, he's gone. Scott walks through exactly how to use terrain features like elevation changes, bends in roads, field edges, and thickets to get birds into gun range before they ever see you.

Beyond the setup, Scott covers how to handle pressured and non-callable birds, how to read a gobbler's behavior and adjust your aggression level on the fly, afternoon hunting tactics, calling volume based on pressure and weather, and how to pick which bird to target when multiple toms are on the roost.

If you're headed to the woods this season, this one is worth the listen.

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

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Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

For decades, Lamar Williams has been quietly shaping the world of custom turkey calls. But outside of tight circles of call makers and serious turkey hunters, most people have never heard his story.

Lamar started chasing turkeys in the 1960s — long before turkey hunting exploded in popularity. Over the years he became a respected custom call maker, building calls that serious hunters seek out across the country.

But if you expect this conversation to be about gear… you’re going to be surprised.

According to Lamar, buying more calls won’t make you a better turkey hunter.

What actually matters is something most modern hunters overlook.

Woodsmanship.

In this episode, Lamar shares lessons learned from over 50 years of hunting wild turkeys, including how fall hunting teaches you more about turkey behavior than most hunters ever learn, why gobblers often won’t come back when you call, and the skills that separate consistently successful hunters from everyone else.

If you want to understand turkeys — not just call at them — this conversation is packed with hard-earned wisdom.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why woodsmanship matters more than turkey calls

• Lessons from  fall turkey hunting

• Why gobblers often won’t come back when you call

• How to understand turkey travel patterns and terrain

• The story behind Lamar’s custom turkey calls

• Why experience in the woods still beats gadgets

This episode is a masterclass in old-school turkey hunting knowledge.

If you enjoy learning from hunters who have spent a lifetime in the woods, you’ll love this one.

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

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Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

In this Q&A episode we tackle a few frustrating turkey hunting situations most hunters eventually face.

• Turkeys that stay just across a creek and won’t cross

• Fresh turkey sign but no gobbling

• What to do when birds won’t come to your calls

We break down how we’d approach each scenario, when to dial back the calling, and what these situations might actually be telling you about the birds you’re hunting.

Topics Covered

• Why some gobblers won’t cross terrain barriers

• What sign means when birds aren’t gobbling

• When calling less can actually work better

• Adjustments to make when turkeys won’t respond

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

Get a discount on your Poncho Outdoors shirts here - https://linkly.link/2bfPZ

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Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 

Stanley Wymbs has spent a lifetime chasing gobblers and building turkey calls. In this episode we sit down with Stanley to talk about the lessons he’s learned from decades in the turkey woods, from mastering woodsmanship to understanding how turkeys actually communicate.

Stanley shares the mindset, tactics, and calling strategies that separate consistently successful turkey hunters from everyone else.

In this episode we cover:

• Why woodsmanship matters more than calling in turkey hunting

• The biggest mistakes turkey hunters make in the woods

• How to become a more effective weekend warrior hunter

• Why patience is one of the most important skills in turkey hunting

• When and why to use the Keekee call in the spring

• How turkeys communicate and how hunters can use that to their advantage

• Setup strategies that help you kill more gobblers

Whether you’re new to turkey hunting or have been chasing gobblers for years, this conversation is packed with practical insights that will make you a better turkey hunter this spring.

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q&A form - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXP

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Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Save 10% on your next Vortex Optics order at eurooptic.com using the Promo Code “southern10” - https://2ly.link/1wyYO

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here

Come chat with us on our Thursday Hunter Hangouts! Join our Patreon - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1uMXU

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.